The Full Bounty
by Niamhgold
Summary: A friend of Xanatos comes to visit; is he going to find out Gargoyles are part of the vacation package? Not to mention that a certain secret agent is in for the assignment of his life.


THE FULL BOUNTY  
By: Niamh at niamhgold@hotmail.com  
  
Hello! This is my third little fiction and I say it's about  
time! This takes place after "Bronx's Night Out," and I first posted it   
back in January '99. This fits in with the time period of the rest of my  
series, and when I reposted it back in March after the server crashed, I changed  
all the dates to March. Hopefully, this new reposting will be the _last_   
time I have to repost this...  
  
A friend of Xanatos's comes to visit; is he going to discover that the   
gargoyles are part of the vacation package? And a certain double agent  
is in for the surprise of his life. This is dedicated to a friend, who's   
absolutely ecstatic about the movie and the show Mission: Impossible, and to   
my coworker, who watched the movie _Crocodile Dundee_ when he was   
sick and couldn't get it out of his head. I just want to make a few points  
about this fiction--1), I'm using Ethan Hunt (the character Tom Cruise   
played in the movie Mission: Impossible) as the leader of the IMF as opposed  
to Jim, the leader of the IMF in the television series, 2)Python Dundee, as  
stated in here, is not the Crocodile Dundee as shown in the Movie.   
  
If you've already read this, fine, if you haven't and you feel like  
you want to E-mail me, PLEASE DO!! Thanks!  
  
(Oh, God, here comes a whopper of a disclaimer...)  
  
_DISCLAIMER_: Gargoyles and characters from that show don't belong   
to me ( they belong to Buena Vista and Disney) and I'm not making any money   
off this piece. _Mission: Impossible_ (the movie _and_ the television show)  
and _Crocodile Dundee_ also don't belong to me, they belong to their   
respective producers. The rest of the characters (Chioke, Ayame, Python and  
others) belong to me and I would be pleased if you used them only with my   
permission. And there's a little use of the word Disney in here, and I'd  
just like to say that that doesn't belong to me, either.  
  
=================================================================  
  
PREVIOUSLY, ON _GARGOYLES_:  
  
Taro: "I built this park as a living tribute to Gargoyles. Here,   
your clan can live and safely be introduced to the entire  
human race, a few at a time."  
  
**  
  
  
Taro's ninja: (Observes the chained Goliath and Angela) "They're  
going to be mad when they wake up."  
  
Taro: "I certainly hope so. A few angry gargoyles will make a   
most exciting attraction."  
  
______** BUSHIDO **______  
  
Australian poacher: (Approaches caged panther) "His pelt should bring  
many an admirer."  
  
**  
  
Taia: "Deal with them!"  
  
Australian poacher: "Say 'bye-bye'." (Levels gun at Diane and Elisa)  
  
Goliath: "Bye-bye." (Suavely punches him out)  
  
**  
  
Elisa: "Easy. You don't want to anger my friends, do you?"  
  
Nigerian poacher: "No, ma'am. Not. At. All."  
  
______** MARK OF THE PANTHER **_____  
  
  
PREVIOUSLY, ON _MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE_,  
  
Ethan Hunt: "Claire was wrong about one thing, Jim. I'm not the   
only one who's seen you alive."  
  
**  
  
Stewardess: "Excuse me, Mr. Hunt? Would you like to watch a movie?"  
  
Ethan Hunt: "Oh, no thank you."  
  
Stewardess: "Would you consider the cinema of the Caribbean,   
Aruba, perhaps?"  
  
============================================================================  
  
============================================================================  
  
_____________THE FULL BOUNTY_____________  
  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
He slipped on the headphones, inserted the tape, made sure one last time  
that no one was looking, and hit play. "Good evening, Mr. Hunt. We would   
like to welcome you to leadership status of the IMF. There have been some  
disturbances in Eastern America lately and we've had many organizations ask  
for our assistance in dealing with these distractions. And if we prove our   
loyalty to these organizations, it could mean a new era in world peace,   
diplomacy, and economy." The scene flashed to the New York City skyline.   
"Your mission, Ethan, should you choose to accept it..."  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
March 2nd, 07:00 hours, unidentified area in upper New York  
  
A blue jay squawked from one of the trees. He looked down at the   
paper, then back up at the dingy shack. Then back down at the paper again.   
The addresses, disappointingly enough, matched.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath.  
  
The gravel of the road crunched under the hefty wheels of a dirt  
caked Humvee, which pulled up beside his neatly parked car. The army  
vehicle contrasted nicely with the fire engine red coat of his Porsche.  
  
"Ay, mate!" The Humvee driver called over, and promptly jumped out of   
the monster truck. He removed his Aussie hat to reveal a sun-bleached  
mane of shoulder-length hair, then looked at the shack and whistled. "Whoo-  
wee, this is a bit of a dingo!"  
  
Ethan sighed, flicked off his pair of sun glasses, and slid out of the   
door of his car. He pulled out a small device and pressed a small blue button.  
  
"*THIS VEHICLE IS NOW ARMED*" a mechanical voice boomed from the  
steering computer, and Ethan knew that the invisible web of laser beams now  
surrounding his baby would protect any papers hidden within the glove compartment.  
Better to have the car destroy itself than have those world-threatening  
secrets fall into the wrong hands.  
  
The Assume whistled again. "What's that you got there, mate? An  
E-lectronic moped?"  
  
"May I ask who you are, sir?" Ethan instead replied.  
  
"Sure thing, pally." The leather-clad Australian sauntered right up  
to the suited inquirer. Ethan's nostrils flared at the scent of hard whiskey   
and unprocessed tobacco. "Me name's Geoffrey Dundee, but they all call   
me Python." He thumbed a black man who was unloading the Humvee.   
"And that there's me pal Chioke."  
  
Ethan looked disdainfully at the Indiana-Jones rip-off. "I didn't think  
they were calling in the kangaroos to do this job."  
  
Something silver flashed by Ethan's ear, drawing blood and   
knocking that still squawking blue jay from its tree. He cupped his earlobe   
with his fingers and hissed. In front of him, "Python" retracted from a  
boomerang-throwing stance and expertly caught the returning weapon.  
  
"They told me there was something they wanted caught. So I came.  
Any questions?"  
  
Chioke, the Aussie's lackey, came strolling over. "Python's the best   
hunter on three continents. He's had more kills than anyone else!"   
  
Python smiled like a jack-o-lantern, and there was something almost  
insane about his overly-friendly demeanor. "Let's not blow me 'orn too loudly,  
mate! Let's just find out what this feller's name is, first!" He stuck out  
his grimy hand to meet Ethan's bloodied one, and they shook.  
  
"I'm Hunt, Ethan Hunt. And, you know, a simple reprimand would have  
been better than the head injury."  
  
"Sorry about that, pally, but people just don't seem to take me  
seriously these-a-days." he picked his teeth. "Ya know what I mean?"  
  
"Yes, yes, of course," Ethan answered, trying hard not to compare this  
man to Krueger, the similarly roughened teammate he'd used to penetrate   
Langley. And, he remembered that despite Krueger's eagerness, he had turned  
out to be the betrayer in league with Jim.  
  
The door of the shed flew open, and a dark figure with a cigarette  
called from inside. "Gentlemen, the sooner you get in here, the sooner we   
can begin."  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
March 2nd, 07:30 hours, inside  
  
Ethan was used to categorizing assignments. There were the easy ones,  
where he thwarted some sub-secret missile launching and saved the world. There  
were the dirty ones. Then there were the strange should-have-been-used-as-a-  
Tim-Burton-movie-plot assignments.  
  
But he had not yet created a category for this one.  
  
There were five in the room: him; Python; Chioke; a Japanese female in  
ninja attire; and a white-suited Japanese fellow with a loose tuft  
of ebony hair, who was apparently in charge.  
  
"Excuse me, but aren't gargoyles just legend?" Ethan interrupted, not  
quite believing what he was being told to do.  
  
Taro, the Japanese boss man, laughed. "Are you kidding?! You must  
have been in hiding for the past year to not have heard about gargoyles!"  
  
"Well, actually..."  
  
"They are the most real thing in the world right now," Taro continued.  
"And I believe that everyone in this room, with the exception of you, have  
witnessed their existence."  
  
The other three nodded in agreement.  
  
"I still don't get why we're doing this," Hunt said.  
  
"Because we're getting paid by the gargoyle-full!" The female ninja,   
Ayame, slammed her fist down on the table.  
  
Taro blew a ring of smoke from a cigarette. "Do any of you remember   
a little incident in Japan? When someone tried to open a Gargoyle Theme Park?"  
  
Dundee snapped his fingers and jumped to his feet. "I knew I'd heard of  
you somewhere, Taro Hiroshi! I was hunting deep-sea spider crabs when I got   
wind of you and your amusement park! You're the big washout!"   
  
Taro's fists clenched. "The Gargoyles escaped before the park   
opened; if the press had just waited until the next sunset, they would have  
seen..."  
  
"A gargoyle _theme_ park? What does _that_ have to do with _us_?"   
Hunt repeated, growing impatient.  
  
Chioke's eyes widened. "Me and Python get to kill gargoyles?"  
  
Taro raised his hands. "Our employers want to make a 'park' of their  
own. They need at least three live gargoyles." At the disappointed glares  
from the others, he added, "But, if a few get 'accidentally' hurt in the   
process..."  
  
"...Then who could blame us for puttin' 'em out of their misery?"   
Dundee finished, and ran a thumb along the sharpened metal edge of his   
boomerang. "I've been waitin' to pay them suckers back for ruining me  
panther 'unt in Africa."  
  
Ethan sighed. He never considered himself an animal hunter, but,   
looking at his "contract," he'd just about comply to anything. Two million   
dollars and all the equipment he could operate in exchange for his services.   
That seemed like an easy enough deal to him. After all, how hard could   
catching a bunch of gargoyles be?  
  
*************************************************************************  
  
March 2nd, 23:00 hours, the Eyrie Building, Manhattan  
  
"Your mail, Mr. Xanatos," Owen stated. He placed a neat stack of letters  
on his employer's desk.  
  
"Thank you, Owen," Xanatos replied from his chair, having been awoken  
by one of Alex's late-night escapades. He pulled out an ivory letter opener.   
"Well, I never thought I would see the day..." Xanatos mumbled as he   
unfolded one envelope  
  
"Something interesting, sir?"  
  
"Lingstrum Bailey is coming from Los Angeles to oversee his   
software division in New York! I bet him he'd never come back again. I guess  
I won."  
  
"Doesn't he work under Mr. Gates at Cornerstone Technology?"   
  
"He's CEO" David twined his arms behind his head. "Looks like I'll be  
collecting my ten-thousand-dollar winning..."  
  
A bedraggled Fox appeared at the door. "I'm going back to bed, David."  
she grumbled. "Lex's gonna look after Alex 'til dawn."  
  
"You get your beauty sleep, darling. We're going to have company tomorrow  
night."  
  
* * * *  
  
In fifteen minutes, Xanatos had dressed in his usual suit and grabbed  
a cup of mocha latte. Three hours before dawn, he made an appearance in the  
Great Hall.  
  
"Good morning," he announced. He looked over at Broadway, Brooklyn,   
and Angela, who were playing monopoly. "Where can I find Goliath?"   
  
Angela, who was deeply engrossed in the game, bit her lower lip and  
growled as she landed on Brooklyn's two-housed square. Broadway watched unevenly  
as Brooklyn demanded two hundred play-dollars of her.  
  
"Goliath's in the library," the aquamarine gargoyle finally said, not  
really paying attention. He rolled the dice, landed on Fate, and tried to   
read the card. "Go stra-i-g-ha-tt...stray-ga-hat..."  
  
"Straight," Angela urged, gently putting a hand on his blue shoulder.  
  
Broadway smiled. "Go straight to jay-le. Do not pass Go. Do not   
col-lect three hun-dred doll-ars." His face fell.  
  
* * * *  
  
Xanatos took one look at Goliath sitting on the library book ladder,  
eloquently swigged the last of his latte, and crossed his arms.   
"Some things never change," he commented.   
  
Goliath swiftly shut the book. He jumped to his feet and stood tall,  
and Xanatos realized humorously that the big gargoyle still couldn't relax  
around his one-time enemy.   
  
"Xanatos, what is it that you want?"   
  
"A competitor of mine is going to be staying here for the next couple of  
days. It would probably be in both our interests if you were to...make  
yourselves scarce for the occasion."  
  
Goliath's eye ridges knitted together, and he clenched his fists.   
"You wish us to leave the sanctity of our home, when we are so unwelcome   
throughout the city?"  
  
Xanatos put a hand on his shoulder, and Goliath quickly drew back.  
"It's not like it sounds. Lingstrum may be an old friend, but _certainly_ not   
to be trusted. I'm sure he's heard of gargoyles living in my belfry, and he'd  
loved to deliver your secret to the press. Just take longer patrols and don't wander;  
I'm sure everything can be worked out." Xanatos paused and thought. "I   
also suggest you keep Bronx under _constant_ observation."  
  
"Very well," was the reply. "But if this man causes any harm to my clan,  
you can be assured that _I_ will put an end to it."  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
March 3rd, 04:00 hours, Lake George in rural New York  
  
He was having fun with this hover craft. Stealth, black, with turbines   
as quiet as the fluttering of a bird's wings. It was sensitive, as well, so   
that as he tugged gently at the controls, the vehicle executed a smooth roll.   
Like a child with a new toy, he adjusted his eye piece and aimed.  
  
"Laser."  
  
A beam of white-hot blue sliced through a row of trees like a knife  
through butter. In a matter of moments, they crumbled to the ground as a   
pile of blackened toothpicks.   
  
The commlink beeped. "Mr. Hunt? I must say, excellent shot. And as  
much as I hate to interrupt you, I'm afraid we have an appointment to keep."  
  
Ethan affirmed and steered the craft to the ground. He paused a   
moment, looking at the blackened trees. What kind of thing on Earth   
would call for such force?  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
March 3rd, 20:00 hours, Manhattan   
  
"No one seems to know the cause of this destruction, nor are there   
any witnesses as to its nature. Weapons experts have been studying the   
type of discharge that would cause this destruction, but there are no helpful   
leads. The locals, nevertheless, hope it's the _last_ disturbance to be felt   
by the land and wildlife. This is Jeanine Winters, Lake George, New York."  
  
The humans within the restaurant took no heed of the announcement,  
only delving further into their revelry. Clinking their wine glasses and resuming  
the music, the wall-mounted television changed to the sports channel as the  
report about the mysterious weapons test in rural New York was forgotten.   
The humans were, instead, warm and content, not noticing the icy snow that  
was piling up on the window sills.  
  
"Aww, I'd sure like to be in there," Brooklyn pined, wrapping his wings  
close to himself. "I may not get cold, but it doesn't mean I like to hang   
around out here in a five-foot snow drift." He shifted his sleet-blanketed  
feet, as if stuck in quicksand.  
  
Angela ignored him. "I wonder who would be destroying the land in New  
York...Shouldn't we be out patrolling?" She changed subjects abruptly, indicating  
the protector-abandoned city.  
  
Lexington watched his breath come out in foggy whispers, dully   
fascinating himself with it. "Well, patrolling would be better than just   
standing on the outside looking in."  
  
"This sucks," Brooklyn voiced. "WE get double patrol duty just because  
Xanatos wants to show HIS friend around OUR castle!"  
  
His two comrades just stretched their wings and made to leave. "Come  
on, Brooklyn, it's not so bad. It's only for a couple of nights."  
  
"I still don't understand why we can't just stay at Elisa's," the beaked  
gargoyle added, following Angela as she dove off the roof. At her exasperated  
expression, he added, "But I guess we _can_ play a game of air tag..."  
  
Lexington and Angela exchanged glances and smiled, happy that Brooklyn's  
mood had shifted. Soon all three were diverting themselves with the simple  
game, taking advantage of the strong air currents.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
March 3rd, 20:30 hours, the Eyrie Building, Manhattan  
  
Owen had just put down young Alexander for a nap when he heard the muffle  
of voices from outside the nursery door. Suspicions and Puck's protective  
instincts aroused, he quickly tucked in the child and walked out into the hall.  
  
The first thing he noticed was the Texan accent. "Marvelous, David,   
just marvelous! And by just going to high school. Makes me wonder why I went  
to MIT in the first place!"  
  
"Yes, well, success comes from the strangest of places," Xanatos said.  
  
Lingstrum Bailey scratched his chin and looked rhetorical for a minute.  
"Hmmm, I heard ya tried to get successful off Cyberbiotics. Seems ya were  
arrested--is that right?--for trying to get away with their property. It was  
amazing to hear they let you return to work afterwards."  
  
Xanatos just smiled, not thrown. "Yes, well, I can't be as good as   
the best. Because, as I recall, _you_ got away with the goods."  
  
Owen found that the ideal moment to step in and stiffly approached the  
two rivals. "Mr. Bailey, I did not realize you had already arrived."  
  
The dusty blond computer scientist grinned ear to ear. "Burnett, ya   
old dog! Haven't seen you since we worked together! What, was Renard a li'l   
too tough on ya?" Before Owen could even speak in his defense, Bailey turned   
to David and said, "Speaking of Renard, heard about his daughter and you gettin'   
hitched and having a rugrat. Any chance I might be able to see the sprat  
before I go? Or is the little tyke just another secret?"  
  
"Of course you'll be able to see him--just not tonight. He's not...  
feeling very well." Truly, Alex had been a little uncontrollable in his magic  
usage lately. "Let's go to dinner. Some of your other friends are there;   
they've been eager to see you."  
  
As Owen began to lead the guest to the elevator, Lingstrum looked  
back up towards the stairs that spiraled to the castle. "David, you've got to   
gimme a look around up there. I've heard marvelous stories about this   
old relic!"  
  
Owen coughed, his interruption indicating that he had no doubt Lingstrum   
_had_ heard stories about the castle. "A tour can be set up during the day   
tomorrow. However, now I'm afraid Mr. Xanatos's other guests are waiting for  
you to attend dinner."  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
March 3rd, 22:00 hours, above Manhattan  
  
She loved the snow, Angela decided. The feel of the soft, cool flakes  
against her warming wing membranes could compare to nothing else she had  
experienced. She found it fun to just float through this sea of ice, when the  
entire city was quiet, tranquil, and hers to enjoy. The weather of Manhattan was  
spectacular, much more interesting than the eternal summers of Avalon.  
  
Brooklyn and Lex, on the other hand, had seen snow before and held  
no care for it.  
  
"Angela, I really don't think anyone's stupid enough to rob a bank  
in weather like this." Brooklyn brushed some snow off his wings, annoyed   
because the precipitation was throwing his gliding off balance.  
  
Lexington quickly seconded the notion. "You know, we _have_ been out  
here kind of long. If don't get somewhere warm, I think my wings are gonna  
be permanently frozen this way."  
  
The purple gargoyle sighed and made a sharp curve toward Wyvern.   
"Alright, Alright. We'll go back already."  
  
"Yess!" her two comrades exclaimed, slapping each other a high-five.   
  
Something heavy and dark suddenly skimmed by the three gliders,   
disrupting the air so that they were sent spiraling in different directions.  
Brooklyn steadied himself long enough to see something whale-like disappear   
behind the curtain of snow.  
  
"What was _that_?" Lexington asked, having been toppled by the disturbance.  
  
Angela peered into the darkness. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I  
think it's..."  
  
The wail of a burglar alarm cut through the cold silence of the night,   
interrupting Angela's thought and making the gargoyles forget the earlier   
disturbance. Thanks to the group's position close to the streets of New  
York, they could see that the source of the alarm was a large jewelry   
store--Cartiers. Two grappling hooks leading to a pair of broken windows   
betrayed the method of entry.  
  
Brooklyn quickly dished out orders. "Angela, take the roof skylight;  
Lex, you and me will take the back." Lexington descended and Brooklyn looked   
to Angela. "Be careful in there."  
  
* * * *  
  
Inside Cartiers:  
  
The first man lifted the helmet off his head to look at his greedy   
consort, who was helping himself to the safe's contents. "Just don't forget  
what we're here to do," he advised. "Or who's the boss."  
  
His partner stuffed cash and diamonds into a leather pouch and   
motioned to a weapon in the belt of his armor. "Don't ya worry about that,  
mate. I think the alarm was loud enough to reach the Queen o' Sheba!"  
  
Both their attentions were distracted as the roof rumbled and the   
skylight caved. A torrent of glass shards and feathery snowflakes rained  
down upon the two intruders, and the obvious leader quickly rolled out of  
view. The other just looked up in mild as a lavender fury jumped down   
through the roof opening and landed in front of him. It was female, and it   
hissed at him while flashing burning eyes.  
  
"Finally," came the Aussie accent, and the black-armored man pulled out  
a gun with a pointed barrel. He fired, and a thick laser exploded from the  
weapon.   
  
The lavender female dodged it with feline grace, and, using her powerful  
legs, pounced down upon her attacker. "Coward!" she hissed, knocking the   
canon from his hands. It skidded across the floor. "Too afraid to fight me  
without your machines!"  
  
Python smiled ferally at her. "Haa! Not in the least!" He grunted   
as he toppled her with a stomach kick.  
  
Something red flew out of a cornice and roared, spreading sanguine wings.  
Python barely had time to react before the beaked creature was upon him,   
hefting him by a handful sharp claws. "Didn't anyone ever tell you," it  
started. "That it's not polite to hit a lady?"  
  
The red creature shook Python violently, so that all the diamonds and  
jewels in his leather bag spilled out like chimes onto the marble floor. The  
gargoyle loomed even more at the sight of the stolen merchandise. But instead  
of flinching, as the creature was surely accustomed to having its prey do,   
Python concentrated on the dark, stealthy figure that was sneaking up behind  
the red gargoyle. A blue laser beam shot out and blasted the red gargoyle right  
on the back. It howled in pain and doubled over, eyes blazing white, and it  
now sported a blistered brand between its shoulder blades.  
  
Python, having been released from the creature's grip, pushed it away from  
him and walked up to the dark figure. "Good work, Chioke," he said, slapping  
his partner on the back. "Never let me down yet!"   
  
The Nigerian smiled crookedly, holstering the smoking gun. "Always help   
Python." He nudged the pained gargoyle's side with steel toed boots. "What do  
we do with it now?"  
  
Taro suddenly appeared from wherever he had run off two and approached  
them. "Absolutely nothing--for now," he said, approaching the suffering   
beaked capture. He plucked a strand of hair from its white mane and, twirling  
it in the light, stuffed it into a vacuum-pack on his suit. The compartment  
hissed shut just as groaning arose from the corner. The lavender female quickly  
composed herself and was after the group of bounty hunters in seconds; Taro  
being her first target. Her kick, powered by the force of her charge, connected  
with him harshly. His armor clunked onto the floor heavily, but saved him  
from enough injury so that he could hit the red call button on his commlink.  
  
About the same time, Ayame crashed through one of the EXIT doors with   
a grunt. She was struggling valiantly with what looked like a green starfish  
sticking to her face and shoulders, but in actuality it was a very determined,  
web-winged gargoyle.  
  
Python just looked at the scene, flashed his gap-toothed smile, and  
produced another weapon. He had his pick of gargoyles here, and he was   
damned if he'd waste the opportunity. He finally leveled his gun at the  
lavender one and said, "This oughtta do..."  
  
"No!" Taro yelled upon seeing Python's intent. Luckily, Ethan Hunt   
chose that moment to respond to the commlink emergency signal. Warm, engine-heated  
air blew down from the broken skylight as Hunt landed the hovercraft on the   
roof. A ladder soon dropped from the opening.  
  
Hunt, looking like he was staring at the three-ring circus, was   
momentarily stunned by the zooish sight below him. "What in the...!"  
  
The ladder he dropped hit the green gargoyle on Ayame precisely on the   
head, distracting it so that she draw her dagger and pry him off with it.  
Having done this, she grasped the bottom rung of the ladder, put her knife   
between her teeth, and made like a pirate climbing a mast. Ethan helped her   
onto the roof once she reached the top.   
  
He tried to ask her about the situation. But she just grabbed his laser  
gun from his belt, aimed it into the room below, and fired. It struck the   
floor between Taro and the attacking gargess, and they danced apart in surprise.  
Taro looked up and shot her a grateful glance. He quickly located the   
ladder, climbed it, had Chioke following him in the next second, and then   
tried to urge Python to follow.  
  
"Gimme one more minute," Python just replied, and kicked the still-stunned   
red gargoyle in the stomach. "I's got some business to finish."   
  
Taro, impatient, turned to Chioke. "Get your partner up here now   
or we're leaving without him!"  
  
The African just looked down at Python, much to familiar with his   
friend's determination when it came to hunting. "I can't make Python do   
what he doesn't want to do."  
  
Blue and red lights suddenly cut through the Cartier glass windows,   
followed by the approaching whine of police sirens. Python was immediately  
snapped back to reality, and with reluctance, he decided that it would be  
in his best interests to leave with the others. He looked at the recovering  
creature, sheathed his gun, and scaled the ladder. He'd have to just put  
this off for another day. In a matter of moments, the hovercraft had pulled  
smoothly away from the building. By the time the police came into viewing  
distance, both the gargoyles and bounty hunters were gone.  
  
**** **** **** **** ****  
  
March 4th, 00:30 hours, outside Cartiers, Manhattan  
  
"Brooklyn, are you sure you're going to be okay?"  
  
He patted his bandaged back and shrugged. "Yeah, fine. I guess it's  
just lucky they didn't turn up the frequency on that laser."  
  
Elisa had met them on the roof of the neighboring building while her  
fellow officers were inspecting the scene of the crime. "Well, except for  
some interior damage and Brooklyn's injury, it doesn't seem those idiots  
got away with much."  
  
Brooklyn smiled half-heartedly. "No, I cleaned out the guy with all the  
loot."  
  
"Well," Lexington added. "If no witnesses saw us fly in, then at least  
we can't get the blame for this."  
  
Elisa leaned on the railing of the building and sighed. "Maybe, maybe  
not. Remember, the perps weren't caught. And it's a fact they came in   
through the roof. Which makes the gargoyles prime suspects." She paused.   
"So could you give me any hints on who the criminals were? Angela?"  
  
The gargess was standing aside from Elisa and the two males, a hand  
on her chin. "No, I thought I recognized one of the men...but...I guess not."  
  
"You sure?" Brooklyn prodded.  
  
"I suppose. I just...have a strange feeling about the break in. They   
seemed like they were waiting for something. As if there was another motive..."  
  
"I doubt there was, Angela," Elisa said, laughing nervously. "It   
was probably just another simple-minded robbery thwarted, courtesy of you   
guys."  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
March 4th, 00:30 hours, unidentified warehouse on Canal Street  
  
"They red one would 'ave made a right glittery trophy. Why'd you  
stop me from takin' 'im out?" Python was sharpening Ayame's dagger, a   
task that did well to relieve his usually violent temper.  
  
Taro had pulled off the helmet to his armor and smiled, annoying the  
hell out of his Australian associate. "You remember that tonight was a test,"  
he said simply. "_Next_ time is when we get down to business. Besides, our   
employers specifically wanted the leader, which none of those were."  
  
Ethan swiveled around from the controls, somehow coming off nonchalant.  
"Those things have a _leader_?" He recalled the bizarre scene he had come in  
on. Three monsters, looking like they had come out of some kid's nightmares,   
playing war-zone with his more-than-eccentric comrades.   
  
"Yes," Taro hissed. "A big purple one like the female we saw tonight.   
And you, Hunt," he said, pointing a finger at the secret agent. "YOU get the  
honor of helping me capture him."  
  
In the background, Python sneered.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
March 4th, 01:00 hours, the Eyrie Building, Manhattan  
  
Lingstrum looked at his watch and slid his chair back from the   
table. "One o'clock already, *yawn*, I suppose I should be turnin' in."   
  
Xanatos stood up from his seat and shook hands with Bailey, motioning  
for the cooks to clear the card table of the Cuban stubs, martini glasses, and   
poker chips. "As usual, you've beaten me out," he said. "You can pick up a  
check before you leave. But, as I figure it, with the ten thousand I won   
from our bet, I only owe you twenty."  
  
Lingstrum dusted off his tie and nodded. He bowed (awkwardly, thanks  
to six glasses of various mixtures of alcohol) at Fox. "I wonder if _you'll_   
be escorting me to my room?" he suggested to her.  
  
She just smiled and exchanged a glance with Xanatos. "As much as I'd  
love to, Owen has already asked for the pleasure." She turned toward the   
servant. "Would you kindly show Lingstrum to his chambers?"  
  
Owen tipped his head in acknowledgement and motioned for Bailey to   
follow. As soon as the two were gone, Fox huffed and knocked the deck of  
playing cards off the table. Their other guests, from other rival companies,  
had left a while ago, no doubt eager to spread their own rumors about the   
reappearance of Lingstrum Bailey.  
  
"My dear, I don't believe I've seen you this upset about anything for   
a while. You can't tell me, considering all your feuding with Renard, that   
you actually resent Lingstrum for stealing from your father." Xanatos   
looked at her in mild amusement as Fox stomped away from the table.  
  
"Oh, no, don't get me wrong," she grated out coolly. "I really don't  
give a damn if Lingstrum took Daddy's plans and ran away with them.  
No, David, I just hate the man because he's so much of a coward."  
  
David walked up behind her, put his hands around her shoulders, and kissed  
her ear. "I can't tell you how much this relieves me. For a moment there,   
I was afraid you were sick of thieves and schemers."  
  
She leaned back into his embrace, chuckling softly, becoming the same  
old, sneaky Fox. "How could I be turned off by schemers," she said, bringing  
David's fingers up to her lips. "When I'm married to one?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
He was being led to what looked like some room from a classy magazine.  
Chandelier, end tables, big screen television, laptop, fax, and other   
trivialities adorned this suite. But what was most interesting that, out of  
the arched windows, he could see the halogen lights glittering down from the  
castle, two floors above him.  
  
"This is your room," Burnett stated dryly. He motioned to the   
closet wardrobe. "Your belongings have already been taken care of. That door,"  
he pointed to a mahogany relic in the far corner, "leads to the bathroom.  
Enjoy your evening."  
  
Lingstrum slapped Burnett on his back. "You've done pretty damn well  
for yourself, hitching up with Renard's daughter and her husband. You and   
I aren't too different, you know? We both got away from the ol' coot and  
made ourselves a decent life. Why, maybe, one day you could come work for   
me!"  
  
Owen just smiled thinly. "I'm afraid Mr. Xanatos and I have a...  
permanent contract. Have a good night, sir."  
  
The door shut behind the departing majordomo and Lingstrum shivered  
at his stiff, used-to-be coworker, who he strangely felt more close to than  
anyone else here. He sighed, stretched, and plopped down on his bed. Six   
years at MIT, brief partnership with Cyberbiotics, and a lifetime contract   
with Cornerstone Technologies still hadn't put him on equal standing with a   
fisherman becoming successful off a tenth-century coin. But this new   
venture in New York would, hopefully, change all that.  
  
He turned off the lamps, tried watching the TV, then gave up and shut  
off everything. He turned his head towards the window and closed his eyes.  
  
* * * *  
  
He thought he heard his name, called several times. He opened his  
eyes and made ready to respond, but awoke only to the semi-dark lighting of  
Xanatos's guest room. He yawned, disappointed but still sleep-willing, and  
was about to brush it off as a dream...  
  
Something thumped outside, above the window, and for a crazy moment  
he thought he heard voices conversing. Oh, no! he thought. Not again! He   
sat straight up, first jumping at his reflection in the mirror across from the  
bed, then half expecting some eerie visage to come wafting through the room.  
  
Instead, he caught a dark silhouette outside cut past the long windows,  
heading upwards. Lingstrum's jaw, he was certain, fell open. Tearing himself  
from his bed ,he pressed his hand to the frosty glass of that window and  
peered out.   
  
Another black shape, closer this time, *flew* upwards, over the window,  
towards the castle above. He tried to gather the details of it as it passed by,  
since the horizon was lightening with the break of dawn, but it was moving   
much too quickly.   
  
"Damn," he heard himself say. That one word broke the mysteriousness  
of the moment and Lingstrum decided to investigate the situation. Opening the  
door to his room, he looked out into the hallway, saw that no one was about,   
and left to find the castle.  
  
The halls weren't as dark as he thought they'd be; they were instead  
lit by the lonely radiance of floodlights. As he huffed up a flight of stairs,   
his vision blurred, shifted, and then returned to normal. He opened a door   
on his left and found himself in a brightly lit corridor, decorated with   
tapestries and medieval armor. Without even wondering how he had known the   
way up here, Lingstrum found himself going up one final flight of stairs   
before emerging in a huge gothic room.   
  
He could hear footsteps and talking, once again. He turned in the   
direction of those voices, thought he saw something inhumanly shaped scurry   
through a dark doorway, and went to follow...  
  
"...Is there something we can _do_ for you, Mr. Bailey?"   
  
His curiosity melted in an instant and the noises he had heard faded  
away. He spun on his heels to see a slightly inquisitive Owen Burnett standing  
behind him, and Bailey was struck with an uncharacteristic sensation of utter   
spite.  
  
"Burnett," he started, having some trouble finding his voice. He looked  
about and rubbed his eyes, confused. "I, uh, was tryin' to find Davey, but   
I think I took a wrong turn..."  
  
Owen took his arm and began to lead him back down the stairs. "If you  
wish to see Mr. Xanatos, I can--"  
  
"No, no, that'll be okay. It wasn't important, any who." Lingstrum  
scratched the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. "But I could use some  
help finding my way back ta my room."  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
March 4th, 06:45 hours, Castle Wyvern, the Eyrie Building, Manhattan  
  
"So where did Broadway and Bronx end up?" Lex asked as he and the   
others scrambled up the stairs of one of the towers, inside which were their  
temporary perches for the duration of Lingstrum Bailey's stay.  
  
Goliath looked back over his shoulder to respond. "He wanted  
to speak with Matt before he returned, and in compensation he promised to bring  
Bronx. I told him he could roost on one of the taller buildings."  
  
"All this snow should hide him well enough," Angela agreed. She was  
still a bit bothered by that night's events.  
  
"Yeah, if we get five tons of snow by morning, it'll hide him," Lexington   
chuckled.  
  
"Boy, those guys we ran into tonight were sure weird. They were really  
pissed when we crashed their party."  
  
"Brooklyn..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know...'don't use that language.'" Brooklyn shook his head.  
"Sheesh."  
  
"Goliath," Angela interrupted as she took her position by the window.  
"Do you remember any Australians from our Avalon trip?"  
  
"As I recall, there was Dingo and the Aborigine from our ordeal with  
the matrix. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," she murmured as she was locked into the day's sleep.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
March 4th, 13:00 hours, unidentified warehouse on Canal Street  
  
"Nice work back there, Hunt," Dundee stated as he took a swig of Michelob.   
He offered it to his double-agent compatriot, who turned it down for a drink  
of Bourbon.   
  
The storage quarters were dimly lit; the hovercraft was concealed with  
a silver tarp. Ayame was in the corner discussing that night's raid with   
Taro while Chioke looked jealously to the dialogue between Python and Hunt.  
  
"I'm beginning to wonder why I was chosen for such an unsophisticated  
assignment," Ethan observed, regarding his wine bottle. "I usually get   
to disarm bombs, or play the debonair hero. Here I'm just the second-hand   
man to the extermination of some bat-winged mutants."  
  
Taro smiled from across the room. "These aren't _mutants_," he  
obligingly explained. "Besides, tonight you'll get your chance to be the   
first-rate player in the game."  
  
Taro went to leave Hunt with that remark, but Python's hand clamped   
down his business suit-clad arm. The Japanese ringleader turned towards the   
Australian and gave him a sneer. "Yes, 'Python'?"  
  
"I want ta know when yer gonna stop tellin' me to spare these beasts  
so I can get one to mount on me wall!"  
  
Taro brushed off Python's hand with a chuckle, and the blond man   
narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Python, Python, Python. You know  
as well as I do that I give you these orders in the best interests of this   
project. And as long as you are getting paid by our backing organization,   
you are to follow my demands. Understood?"  
  
"Aye, _mate_," Dundee spat.  
  
Taro clapped him on the shoulder. "Very good, very good. Now, let's--"  
  
"--Taro," Ayame interrupted, closing a cell phone. "They've found   
one, not too far from here."  
  
Her boss's eyes lit up and he immediately left Dundee to tend to this  
matter. "Excellent! Okay, boys...and ladies," he said, especially gazing down  
at the ninja female. "Suit up and we'll get ready to enact phase II."  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
March 4th, 15:30 hours, Twenty-third Precinct, Manhattan  
  
"Starting shift early tonight?" Officer Morgan inquired of an   
exotic woman, who was trudging through the station doors.   
  
She threw back a mane of raven hair and pulled her hands from her pockets.  
"What? Oh, yeah, Morgan."  
  
"Looks like you got some troubles. Need an ear?"  
  
Elisa managed a thin smile and shook her head. "No, thanks. Just need  
some sleep and a little extra time to think. And I was hoping that I could  
get outta here early so I can do some last minute birthday shopping for Beth."  
  
"Didn't that girl just have a birthday?" Morgan counted on his fingers.  
"Why, she must be twenty, now! You kids are growing up real fast."  
  
"Yeah, well..."  
  
"You were just in pigtails when your dad and I were partners! And  
Derek was only...hey, what ever happened to that boy, anyway? Forgot about  
his old godfather already?"  
  
"Ah, he...took a job out west. Wanted to get away from us, probably,"   
Elisa improvised, trying to look truthful.   
  
Morgan just frowned down at her but before he could add anything, the   
Captain bustled into the room.   
  
"Maza! Good, now I don't have to go sending out some rookie to do a   
real cop's job." She handed an address to Elisa. "Some people just called in  
and reported a non-threatening disturbance down by Second Avenue. I want you to   
go check it out."  
  
"Ah, okay," Elisa replied, and Chavez left as quickly as she had blown   
in. She memorized the address and stuffed it in her pocket.  
  
Morgan chuckled. "That woman will still be orderin' us around when   
she's eighty. I'll see ya, Elisa."  
  
"Yeah, sure," she grumbled detachedly. She had just arrived and   
already had to go back out again. She sighed, departed from the precinct, and  
got back into her precariously parked car. Hitting the gas, she headed  
for the Ukrainian museum, the origin of the disturbance.  
  
She parked across the street and shielded her eyes from the extinguishing  
flame of the setting sun. The museum was closing for the evening, due to the  
fact that it was a Sunday. Tourists and the like were slowly making their  
way out of the building, and Elisa stretched as she watched them. It sure   
didn't look like anything was wrong.  
  
Still, she walked through the museum entrance, past the crowd of departers   
and up to the tour guide. He made a funny face at her coming in during closing,  
but she just shoved her badge in his face.  
  
"Someone called in a disturbance?" she asked, crossing her arms.  
  
"Oh, oh, you're the cop!" he laughed. "Yeah, seems a couple of   
helicopters were pulling some stunts over the place. Not too much later   
some of our guests heard some noises on the roof. With all those gargoyles  
up and about these past days, we figured it would be safer if we called it   
in."  
  
"Gargoyles aren't _awake_ during the day," she muttered.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing. Did you want me to check it out?"  
  
He shrugged. "Sure. I'm leaving now but the guards will be here all   
night." He pointed to a set of eloquent stairs. "If you go up there, you'll   
find the doors to the roof."  
  
She nodded and headed up as the clerks shut down the lights. The sun  
may not have set yet, but the interior of the building was still dark.  
The decorative lights from the display cases were enough illumination, though,  
and she couldn't help but admire some of the pieces of Ukrainian history put  
on show.  
  
As Elisa came over the crest of the staircase, a female figure eclipsed  
into view. "Hey!" she started, startling the black-dressed woman. "This place  
is closed! What are you--" the detective's gaze fell upon a shattered glass  
display case. "NYPD! Freeze!"  
  
The woman just laughed, executed a perfect back flip, and went bolting  
up another set of rickety, off-limits stairs. Elisa just groaned, wishing  
that maybe, for once, a criminal would be easy to catch.   
  
These stairs obviously led for the roof, for she could see it through  
some old, locked windows. When she passed one, and noticed the large, familiar   
shape perched on the other side of the glass, she nearly fell over in surprise.   
  
"Broadway!" she gasped out loud. She quickened her pace; she did not   
want to think about what the burglar would do if she saw him.  
  
The detective emerged on the roof, stung by the cold air but desperate   
to find the thief before the thief found Broadway. Instead, she found two   
_men_ huddled around Broadway, fidgeting with a gadget.  
  
"Back away," she demanded, steadying her gun. Both men turned around,   
one a dark haired, handsome, short fellow, the other masked by a safari hat   
with golden, unruly hair emerging from beneath.  
  
"Heh-Heh, sheila," the hat-adorned one snipped. "Don't look now, but..."  
  
"I'd put your gun down," a female voice smugly stated from behind   
Elisa, accompanied by the cocking of another weapon.   
  
Elisa raised her hands above her head, dropping her piece. She sighed,  
sensed that her captor was moving closer, and then dropped quickly to her   
feet. Flipping backwards as the burglar had done before, Elisa knocked the  
weapon from her opponents hands. But this thief also knew her martial arts,  
and as Elisa's foot shot outward in a kick, the ninja female grabbed it and   
used the detective's momentum to throw her to the side.  
  
The black-haired Sioux grunted as she hit a storage shed. Luckily, though,  
her gun lay only a foot away from her. Reloading it quickly, but careful not   
to aim at Broadway, she fired some shots at the two men.  
  
Suddenly, she felt pressure on her right arm. The culprit was a fist,  
and her eyes moved upward to take in the face of an extremely armored man.  
  
"Detective Maza," the Japanese man said, indulgently. "I had no idea   
I'd meet you in Manhattan."  
  
"Taro! I thought you'd given up on gargoyle theme parks after the   
press _burned_ you."  
  
"And I believe I have you to thank for that." He yanked her upwards   
and pushed her into the surprised arms of the mysterious dark, suited man   
she had seen earlier, who held her still.  
  
Suddenly, the whole group of them jumped backwards as Broadway's   
statue came to life. Tossing stone shards everywhere, Elisa felt her holder  
draw back in awe at the sight of the gargoyle waking up. It didn't take the   
aquamarine gargoyle too long to take in the scene around him. He turned his  
head, both parties being still with disbelieving shock, until Broadway's large   
eyes rested on Elisa, who was escaping from the grasp of a dark man.  
  
"Hey!" he growled, jumping down from his perch. "What's going on   
here?"  
  
"Get him!!!" Taro yelled, and whipped out a small tranquilizer pistol.  
He leveled it with the back of his other hand, fired, and missed, thanks to  
a blue watchgargoyle that he recognized from Ishimura yanking on his pantleg.  
  
Dundee and Chioke came crashing out of the shadows and downright   
tried to tackle Broadway. Chioke grabbed the blue gargoyle around the back,  
pinning down his wings, while Python got the beast around the legs and   
tried to lower a stun-gun to its flesh.  
  
Taro called to Ayame as he kicked the blue dog away from him.  
"The flitters!"  
  
She nodded and ran to the other side of the roof, ducking behind a large   
storage shed. Meanwhile, with a roar, Broadway managed to spread his arms,   
wings, and legs in one explosive motion so that Chioke and Python went   
flying in separate directions.   
  
Broadway turned to face Taro and growled with convincing tone. "You'd   
better explain yourself!" he demanded, moving closer.  
  
Taro stepped backwards, but only with a sly little smile. "Oh, you'll  
get your explanation soon enough," just as Ayame came sweeping around in   
her dark purple flitter. In one fluid motion, she scooped up Taro and went   
flying out to the horizon.  
  
Python and Chioke found their own flitters and went to escape like   
their partners, but on final inspection Python picked up Taro's dart gun, pegged  
Bronx right between the shoulder blades with the dart, and used the harness   
on the flitter to lift the animal into the air.  
  
"Bronx!" Broadway yelled as he watched the Australian poacher make off  
with the poor animal. In the next minute, he jumped after the trio of   
flitters.  
  
Ethan spun around from his position on the fire escape. They'd left   
without him, not that he really wanted to go running off with one of those  
heavy creatures, but he'd really rather get out of here on one of those flitters  
than have to find one of his usual, stunt-like ways to exit. Oh, well, he  
had his grappling gun...  
  
*Click* "Don't even THINK about moving."  
  
He raised his hands, put them behind his head, and felt the cool press  
of handcuffs against his wrists. "NYPD?" he asked.  
  
"You bet. Turn around." He did, and was hardly surprised to see that  
it was the same woman whom he had been ordered to watch earlier. She had  
her gun expertly trained on him, so he put aside all smart ideas of bolting.   
"Now, tell me," she continued. "Who you are and why you're teamed up with  
those four goons."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
March 4th, 17:20 hours, above Manhattan  
  
Why he ever let these youths talk him into patrolling was beyond his  
reasoning. No one should be out on the night of the world premier of   
"Tomorrow Never Dies." But Goliath _was_ the leader, he'd chosen it to be   
so more than a millennia ago, and he was damned to live with it, even though   
his wings and legs were aching like hell.  
  
Hudson grunted off his thoughts and concentrated on the ground below   
him. "How many more nights did Xanatos say his friend was te be stayin' in  
ouir castle?" he asked, he was sure more than bitterly.  
  
Goliath snapped his head up from his own thoughts, surprised at the   
fact that Hudson had actually chosen to speak this night. "Tonight is the   
last, from what I take of it. Lingstrum Bailey, is, I believe, leaving   
tomorrow afternoon."  
  
"Good. Ye know, lad, I was just thinkin' that--"  
  
ZOOM!!! Two dark shapes buzzed by the eldest clan members, one nearly  
clipping off Hudson's wing fingers. On impulse, he drew his sword and floated  
on a single updraft, waiting for a second attack. Goliath unconsciously did the  
same.   
  
That second attack never did actually have a chance to come. True,  
Goliath and Hudson noticed the third flitter, slower than the others, as it   
came over the top of a building; and, true, they did, with alarm, notice   
the sedated figure of Bronx slung over the back. But they did not have time to   
react before a bolt of aquamarine burst up from underneath it, toppled the   
flitter, and scooped up Bronx.   
  
The human who had also been jostled by Broadway managed to grab the   
throttle bar of his aircraft and stop his fall. He simultaneously   
pumped it while re-mounting the flitter, and he was soon zipping away.  
  
Goliath was the first to move. With a push of the wings, he met   
Broadway halfway. "What happened? Is Bronx alright?" He opened his arms  
to the sleepy gargdog.  
  
Broadway happily handed over the animal. "Bronx is okay; as for what  
_happened_, I'm not exactly sure."  
  
"Who did this, lad?" Hudson asked, sheathing his sword.   
  
"I don't know, but I think Elisa does. And I think Angela probably knows,  
too."  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
March 4th, 18:30 hours, Castle Wyvern in the Eyrie Building  
  
He checked behind the door, not noticing the glares that Fox and   
David exchanged behind his back. "So this is the whole kit 'n' caboodle,  
huh?"  
  
"Yes, a very expensive, but I believe, worthwhile purchase." Xanatos  
put his arm around his wife, who was watching Lingstrum's every move with   
eyes like a hawk.   
  
"Sure there isn't anything _else_ you'd like to see," she added acridly.  
  
Lingstrum sighed. "No..." then, more surely, "No. Pretty nice place,  
Davey. I can see why your clients never forget you."  
  
He thought he heard those noises again, on the roof. David looked  
out the window. "Well, if everything is all set here," he continued, putting  
his arm around his competitor and directing him to the stairs, "I believe   
Alex may want a visit."  
  
"I can't help thinking that you're trying to hide something from me."  
Lingstrum stated jokingly.  
  
Just then, a woman in a red leather jacket came bustling up the stairs  
from one of the elevators below. She stopped when she saw Bailey, he saw  
Xanatos give her a sympathetic look, and then she just shrugged.   
  
"Excuse me," she stated simply. She edged by Fox and David and   
disappeared into the castle depths.  
  
Lingstrum turned and waited for David or Fox to explain. "What can   
I say?" Xanatos finally managed after a stern glance from Fox. "This is a   
popular place."  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
March 4th, 19:00 hours, Castle Wyvern, the Eyrie Building  
  
"That's when I saw Taro. You were right, Angela. There was him and his  
from Ishimura. And the other two..."  
  
"Were the poachers from Nigeria!" Angela finished, slamming her fist   
into her palm. "Now I remember. But what did they want with you, Broadway?"  
  
The bespoken gargoyle just shrugged, rubbing one of his sore   
shoulders. "Beats me."  
  
Elisa sighed and turned to the man called Ethan Hunt, whom Hudson   
had taken off her hands and to the castle. He was tied to a chair  
and looked more humored than appalled.   
  
"Well, whatever they were doing, it's no coincidence," she said,   
right into Hunt's face. "What are the odds that your friends would be in   
the same two places as the gargoyles, on two consecutive nights?"  
  
"Yes, indeed," came an ominous rumble from behind Elisa. All turned,   
and Hunt's eyes widened at the sight of the large, lavender, creature.  
  
"So," he finally managed, straining against his binds. "You're the   
leader of this clan. I don't think Taro likes you too much."  
  
The bid gargoyle did not even feign a smile. Instead, he grabbed Hunt  
by the collar and lifted him to eye level, chair and all. "Would you mind  
explaining why you and your...friends...are terrorizing my clan?"  
  
"Or what?" Hunt returned.  
  
Behind the giant, Hunt noticed the younger (or at least the _seemingly_  
younger) gargoyles coil back at his remark. The dark haired police officer,  
Detective Maza, as he'd been informed, just crossed her arms and exchanged  
a glance with the big one.  
  
"What do you suggest, Goliath?" she asked him. "A dive off the roof,  
a swim in the Hudson, or just an old-fashioned boxing match?"  
  
Hunt sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll play along." Not that he couldn't make  
his escape anyway, but he was curious about this side of life. Who knew?   
Maybe learning about these things would help him finish this assignment all   
the more quicker.  
  
A beeping came from Maza's jacket and she sighed. "Do you guys think  
you can handle this creep? The Captain needs me."  
  
Hunt thought he actually saw Goliath's face fall at that one. "Very  
well, Elisa. Perhaps, then, we could see you tomorrow night?"  
  
She backed towards the elevator, raising up her hands. "I don't know,  
been a little busy down at the station, know what I mean?" With that, the   
detective left.   
  
Goliath, as he was called, roughly set the chair containing Hunt back   
on the floor and cleared his throat. A red one with a beak sidled up to   
Ethan and poked a *talon* in his face.   
  
"Spill it, bucko."  
  
Ethan just smiled, and did.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
March 4th, 19:45 hours, above Manhattan  
  
"How damn foolish can you be, you imbecile? I swear to my ancestors,  
if you had not been assigned to me I would exterminate you where you stand!!"  
Taro and Ayame's flitter vulturously circled Python's.  
  
Chioke's flitter rocketed up next to Dundee's. "You can't speak to   
Python like that. Without Python, you'd be dead three times over."  
  
"It's alright, Chioke," Python managed through gritted teeth. "The  
man is me boss." Before Taro could give one of his smug gestures, Python's  
hand shot out across the space between their hovercrafts and grasped the  
handlebar of Taro's machine, his strength pulling the flitter up against his  
own. "But did ya notice, mate," he continued, "That while you were a'looking   
to escape like a blinking yeller-belly, that those monsters captured 'unt?"  
  
Taro laughed. "Of course, I knew that, you idiot! He'll just distract  
those beasts while we follow the signal to their hideout!"  
  
Dundee growled. "Figures. Too coward to distract them yerself."  
  
"And as for you, Mr. Dundee--I suggest that you follow my instructions  
exactly for the next attack."  
  
"Because if you don't," Ayame added, with more words than any of them  
had heard her speak before. "You'll be severely reprimanded." She produced   
her jewel-hilted dagger, and Python immediately regretted ever sharpening   
it for her.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
March 4th, 20:00 hours, Castle Wyvern, the Eyrie Building  
  
"And that is the story of ouir clan," Hudson finished, taking a deep  
breath. All the other gargoyles that had spoken of their past stretched their  
tired limbs and yawned, giving Ethan the urge to do so himself. Damn the   
ropes around him!  
  
He'd explained (using the Cliff's notes version and leaving out the  
details) what Taro and Python and Ayame and Chioke had in store for the   
gargoyles, and in return they had told him their story, no doubt giving him  
the amended version, as well. "Well, that's one story that tops the   
charts," he finally said.  
  
"And yet," the leader's daughter, Angela, added. "You do not seem  
surprised."  
  
"I get a lot of stories in the IMF. I'm not saying I believe all of   
them, but I _am_ trained to treat them without bias."  
  
"IMF?" Goliath repeated.  
  
"Impossible Missions Force. Secret Agent stuff. Basically I get  
assignments like this and I follow them out until the end."  
  
"And so you would capture and harm my kind for the sake of an  
assignment, even though you have no idea from where or who it came?"   
the lavender one challenged.  
  
"Like I said, I'm trained to listen to the stories and follow orders.  
How can you expect me to deny everything I've been told before just because  
you tell me to?" Immediately, his insides regretted those words, because,   
of course, his previous assignment with Jim had proved to be an exception to  
his beliefs.  
  
Lexington, the smallest of all the seven gargoyles, said, "Then what  
should we do with him? Goliath?"  
  
"Rrrr...I believe we have gotten all from him that we possibly could."  
  
"Let's give him to Matt!" the big, fat, blue one piped up.  
  
Suddenly, Bronx's head whipped around to an alien sound. A distinct  
hovering sound could be heard from out the windows, and immediately Hunt   
knew what was going on. The rest of the gargoyles also knew what this  
phenomenon was, having experienced the wrath of various hovercrafts during  
their life in modern-day New York.  
  
Goliath turned to Hunt. "Do you know who this is?"  
  
"Of course," Ethan yelled over the growing noise. "They put a   
homing device on Broadway when we broke into the museum. They've just   
followed the signal!"  
  
Goliath turned to see all of his clan hustle outside, and when he looked  
back at Ethan, the IMF agent was gone.   
  
* * * * * *   
  
Over the blaring of the surround-sound orchestra playing on the  
CD, Lingstrum somehow thought he heard a pressured whirring coming from the  
roof. He waved to David to turn the volume down.  
  
"Do you hear that?" he asked, pointing upwards.  
  
"No. What does it sound like?" Xanatos pushed.  
  
"Air pressure being forced out of somethin'."  
  
In the background, Lingstrum noticed Burnett make a hasty exit.   
  
"It's probably just your imagination," Fox suggested, putting emphasis  
on the last word. "Let's finish the string quartet and see if you hear it  
after."  
  
Lingstrum sighed and submitted, being the guest and all. But even   
as the loud and plucking sounds of the music rose in timber, he thought  
the helicopter sounds had been joined by the noises of fighting and gunshots.  
  
* * * * * * *   
  
Hudson had only a brief moment to see (out his seeing eye) the large  
hovercraft and flitters hovering over the towers before someone shot a white-out fire  
grenade at the doors. It exploded upon impact, blinding and burning the five   
gargoyles that had just emerged from the entrance. Broadway and Angela   
rolled out of the way, while Hudson, Brooklyn, and Goliath lay in a crumpled pile on the flagstones.  
  
Lexington, the only one unhurt, jumped over his surprised clan siblings  
and was the first to try to tackle a flitter.   
  
The same little green "starfish" that had surprised Ayame earlier  
startled her once again, but this time she reacted more quickly. She rolled  
the hovercraft so that Lex overshot her, and then turned back to fire a   
net at the beast. It wrapped around Lexington with a great force.  
  
He growled like a panther and tried to claw his way out, but it was  
futile even as Ayame reeled her prize in. A loud cry from Lexington proved  
to be the opening "shot" of the battle.  
  
The three stunned gargoyles were recovered in just enough time to be  
fired upon by bullets, tranq darts, and lasers. Goliath was quick in giving  
out orders, but, in the end, everyone pretty much did what they could.  
  
In the midst of all the laser-singeing chaos, Angela ducked away from the  
action so she could approach the female ninja, who was trying to sedate a   
squirming Lexington. Ayame had just about readied the dart gun when  
a lavender gargess raked her claws through the web-wing's net, and then gashed  
the fuel tank on the flitter. It didn't take too long for the sparks from   
the rockets to seek out the delicious fuel. With an explosion that could   
have put Disney's firework displays to shame, the flitter exploded and Ayame   
went sailing to the city below. Angela caught Lexington in time to save   
him, but had no time to intervene in the female ninja's almost certain fate.  
  
"Ayame!" Taro yelled, and immediately broke off his laser fire against  
Brooklyn to take a dive after the plunging woman.   
  
He approached her, fired his own net canon so that the material   
wrapped about her and halted her momentum. Taro quickly cut her loose and   
deposited her on the castle battlements, smiling at her appreciative glance.   
In no time flat, Ayame had relocated her laser canon and began torturing   
the clan on foot.  
  
Angela, carrying Lexington's netted frame, was suddenly cut down by  
a blast from Chioke. She fell and hit the ground harshly, while her Nigerian  
enemy went down to inspect the catch.   
  
Broadway and Brooklyn couldn't even see Angela after her fall, even though  
both were frantic to reach her. But Python had them cornered against the courtyard  
wall and had hopped off his flitter. He pulled out a particularly long  
boomerang and threw it upon seeing Brooklyn readying to pounce.  
  
It struck the same red beast he had tangled with the night before and  
reduced the creature to his knees. Brooklyn clutched his thigh and tossed  
the boomerang aside, and Broadway could see the crimson tide of blood drip  
its way down Brooklyn's legs.   
  
"If ya don't want the same to happen to ya, pally, I don't recommend  
you try anything smart," Python growled, seeing Broadway stiffen.  
  
Goliath roared upon seeing his clan so defeated, and decided to go  
after the source of the problem--Taro. He scaled one of the courtyard walls,  
ignored the explosion from a grenade that threatened to toss his to the ground,  
and launched himself after Taro's flitter.  
  
**********  
  
March 4th, 21:00 hours, inside the Eyrie Building  
  
That time, it was the definite sound of an explosion. Lingstrum  
slammed his glass of champagne down in a most uncharacteristic manner and stood  
up. "Okay, David," he said, interrupting Xanatos's talk with his wife.   
"Ya can't be foolin' with me any longer! I'm gonna see exactly what it is that  
you're hiding up there!"  
  
"Why, Lingstrum," Fox huffed, crossing her arms. "I have no idea   
what you're talking about."  
  
The room shook as another explosion rocketed from the castle. Lingstrum   
laughed. "Well, if there's nothin' going on, then ya can let me take a look,"   
he said, and then stalked through the door.  
  
"If you're so insistent..." Xanatos called back, and, stroking his beard   
coolly, quickened his pace after his friend.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Hudson bared his fangs and growled as he and the female  
ninja circled each other. She had her knife drawn, as he did his sword.   
He remembered the last time he had confronted a human female such as this,  
on the first night he had awoken in this strange city.  
  
"Hi-yah!" she whooped and did a roundhouse kick, knocking the old   
warrior's sword straight from his grasp.   
  
His eyes burst into great flame as the swipe of her knife-brandishing  
hand followed the kick of her foot and tore through his shoulder.   
  
Hudson growled, covering the wound with his hand. "I may say that   
it's not polite te hit a lass, but in this circumstance," his tail whipped   
out and knocked her to the ground, "I'll just have te make an exception."   
He kneeled down to retrieve his sword, and, while his back was turned, his   
keen ears picked up the sound of her reapproaching him from behind. He   
heard the power on a laser cannon hum.  
  
And then, commotion, as he realized the ninja had been thwarted. He   
spun around, expecting one of his clan to be standing victoriously over Ayame,   
but instead saw the dark-garbed human Elisa had captured earlier.   
  
"Hunt!" he growled, seeing the now-unconscious ninja and her smoking   
laser now in Ethan's grasp. "What is the meaning--"  
  
"Calm down, Hudson," Hunt said, strolling closer and putting a hand on  
the elder's bleeding shoulder. He pulled out a handkerchief. "Just take   
care of yourself."  
  
The gargoyle just looked at him in disbelief, but accepted the   
cloth nonetheless and pressed it on his wound.   
  
* * * * * * * *   
  
Python finished tying the net around the red and blue gargoyles and hooked  
the slack onto the tow of his flitter. He patted his hands together, looked   
up, and smiled at what he saw. The lavender leader of the clan, flying  
dangerously close to Taro.   
  
"Now I gots ya," he muttered to himself, and pulled out a rather   
hefty stun-gun from the compartment in his flitter. Despite the aghast expressions  
on Broadway and Brooklyn's faces, he aimed and pulled the trigger. The purple  
beast roared as an electric bolt hit and surged through him. The heavy  
gargoyle landed not-so-quietly on the flagstones below.  
  
He walked up to Goliath's still twitching form. The gargoyle growled   
and swatted out weakly with his arm, to no avail. Python dug one spiked   
foot into the monster's chest and chuckled.  
  
"So you're the same damn beast that ruined me panther 'unt in Africa,"  
he observed, pulling his boomerang out and pressing it precariously against  
Goliath's carotid artery. "Now it's yer turn to say 'bye-bye.'"  
  
"NO!" Taro yelled from above, and he swung down from his hovercraft via   
a grappling hook. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?! I told you   
to spare this one--_They_ want him!"  
  
"And _I_ wants 'im!" Python matched, punctuating the remark with the  
tip of his sharpened boomerang. "I want this 'ne mounted on me wall!"  
  
Taro grabbed Python's wrist. "Not under _my_ authority, you don't!   
Goliath's part of the attraction and that's that!"  
  
Python withdrew his hand and snarled. "Maybe, then, we've all 'ad  
enough of yer authority, _mate_! You told me I could 'ave a gargoyle, and  
by blazes I'm goin' to 'ave me gargoyle! I ain'ts gonna listen to ya no longer!"  
  
He kicked Taro in the stomach with such great force that the Japanese  
businessman hit the wall behind him and slipped into semi-consciousness.   
Python turned back to the still stunned Goliath and leveled his boomerang at  
his throat.   
  
"Now, pally, back to business..."  
  
"I don't think so, Python. Just do me a favor and put the boomerang  
down."   
  
Python's shoulders drooped and he groaned. "Why in the nut am I   
always being interrupted?!" he turned and looked at the IMF agent in back of him,  
who was flanked by a bearded gargoyle and a blue doggish creature.   
  
"Come on, Python," Ethan continued. "Drop your weapon."  
  
Python did, reluctantly. "Ya're still sour because I nipped yer ear  
with me boomerang, I should 'ave figured. Now you've gone and switched  
sides. Pity, it's always the good 'nes."   
  
"Yeah, yeah, don't turn on the waterworks, Python. Are you gonna   
come peacefully?" Hunt eyed the Aussie's movements carefully, seeing   
Python reaching for a grenade. But, for some reason, he chose not to   
mention the movement to the others.   
  
"Sorry, mate, but you know how it is." Dundee pulled out the grenade   
and chucked it.  
  
A full blown smoke screen concealed Python's exit, but by the sound of  
a departing flitter, they soon know his means of escape. Hudson coughed, and   
was about to try and follow, but the Xanatos's alarms suddenly wailed and   
fifty or so Xanacorp commandos scurried out of the doors. In no time the XCG  
took down Chioke's still-hovering flitter. Taro, trying to arise from the  
murky depths of his injury-induced grogginess, started crawling away from the  
mess. But a strong hand on his shoulder made him freeze, and as he looked   
into the not-pleased face of a recomposed Goliath, he knew that it was over.  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
March 4th, 23:30 hours, Castle Wyvern  
  
"Lingstrum, I keep telling you there's nothing out there..." Xanatos  
started, but Bailey just swung open the courtyard doors and stood there,  
panting, expecting some great revelation.  
  
Instead, he saw dozens of commandos, armored and helmeted, were   
cleaning up a horrendous mess while others were practicing martial arts.   
Still others were emptying out gun cartridges and powering down laser   
cannons, and some were reeling in grappling hooks.   
  
"...except my protective guard training grounds," Xanatos smoothly   
finished, and Fox took a breath of surprise relief. At Lingstrum's bewildered  
expression, he ad-libbed some more. "You see, being this rich gets me many  
enemies, and the castle makes a perfect aerial assault target. So I train  
my commandos up here with the latest in technological weaponry."  
  
Bailey flinched as one of the commandos demolished a dummy with a   
laser cannon. "But I saw things flying out of my window..."  
  
"Simply my XCG practicing their grappling skills," Xanatos sighed.  
  
"Satisfied?" Fox added, crossing her arms.  
  
Lingstrum sighed, made the fool once again. "I guess I just flew off  
the handle there, Davey. I didn't have any idea you had your own fleet of  
soldiers!"  
  
"No need to apologize, Lingstrum. But I think it would be much   
better if you spent your last hours in this building relaxing, not   
working on that ulcer."  
  
He nodded, checking behind him one last time, just in case.  
"If this is just two days in the city, Davey," he continued. "I can't  
even imagine what the rest of my contract years are going to be like!"  
  
Xanatos sighed and signaled to Owen, who had been the one to call   
up the XCG. He'd _definitely_ have to thank him later, Xanatos decided.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
  
March 5th, 01:00 hours, the Eyrie Building  
  
Chioke and Ayame were escorted off by one police cruiser while Taro  
was loaded into another, dingier one. Python Dundee had not been located  
yet, and, since no one in the area knew him very well, no one could predict  
his future doings, anyway.  
  
Up above, in the castle, the gargoyle clan made sure the   
Great Hall had been relieved of Lingstrum Bailey before they met inside.   
Goliath shook Hunt's hand carefully.  
  
"I suppose I should thank you for this night," he rumbled, though   
doubtfully.  
  
Hunt laughed. "You shouldn't. I'm as unpredictable as the next guy.  
I decided I shouldn't take sides, so I ditched the loser crew and helped you  
a little bit. But tomorrow, I could do it to you--"  
  
"--whoopee," voiced Brooklyn.  
  
"--And so that's why I'm just going back to Europe. I'm not going  
to accept any more assignments from the States."   
  
He didn't tell them why he'd changed his heart, failed to mention  
that it had been his memories from his experience with Jim, the death of   
Claire, or the fact that he had been an IMF agent on the run thanks to a betrayal  
from within. No, he also didn't tell him why he'd let Python escape, when  
he could have stopped him by pointing out the grenade. Or why he was going to  
disappear after tonight. No, he just stood there, said goodbye, and left.  
  
"Strange lad," Hudson noted. "But, somehow, I trust him."  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
March 5th, 3:00 hours, top-secret location  
  
He felt the car come to a halt and strained to see something, anything,  
outside the wrap around his eyes. Instead, he heard the door open and he   
stumbled out of the car. He was being led somewhere, he didn't know where,  
but anything was better than having been taken to jail. Luckily, he hadn't  
shared the fate as his other friends.  
  
They removed the blindfold and pushed him into a room. He rubbed  
his eyes, hearing the door shut behind him. The room was dark, and he could see  
the shapes of ten figures seated around a table, but not their faces. On  
experience, he stood still and waited for their approval, or, in the other  
case, disapproval.  
  
"Did you obtain the aforementioned items?" Two asked, flicking glowing  
ashes from a cigar.   
  
He nodded and an old, decrepit butler came around with a silver tray.  
The butler bowed when the Japanese man placed his plastic baggie of items on the tray  
and then offered him a goblet of ale. He took it hesitantly.  
  
One of the ten men from the table got up and showed him to a chair.  
  
"Go ahead, sit and have a drink with us," Four said, motioning to a   
seat.   
  
He did so and sipped the beverage delicately. "So, honorable masters,   
was I--"  
  
"Yes, yes," Three interrupted, holding up his hand. "You have made your  
forefathers proud by proving yourself to be a worthy member of the Hiroshi  
lineage. Welcome, Taro Hiroshi as number five hundred sixty-six."  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
March 8th, 12:00 hours, Cruise Liner the S.S. Othello  
  
Ethan relaxed in the reclining chair of the boat, setting his   
laptop aside and sliding down his sunglasses. He lazed about under the sleepy  
heat of the sun and was about to drift off to the lulling sway of the deck  
when a shadow cast over him.   
  
Something dropped next to his foot. He opened his eyes and looked   
up at a dark figure, whose face was silhouetted by the blazing sun behind it.   
Ethan watched as the person indicated the dropped item and quickly melted  
into the depths of the ship. Hunt bounded up after the figure, jumping the   
stairs that led to the cabins below, but the mysterious man was gone.  
  
Scratching his head in confusion, Hunt climbed back up the stairs and   
returned to his lounge chair. His eyes fell on a small, 2.5 inch by 2.5 inch  
plastic case by his laptop, which had been delivered by the unknown courier. He  
opened it and found inside a small, mini-CD, which he slid into his ROM drive.  
  
An html file immediately opened up on the screen of his computer and  
displayed links to both audio and video files. Ethan clicked on both, inserted  
his headphones, and waited for the fuzzy static to clear.   
  
"Hello, Ethan, I hope you enjoyed your little escapade in Manhattan.  
It was a little test we had to perform, and, also, you were a tool much   
needed by the organization backing Taro Hiroshi. We were also pleased to see  
that you let Python Dundee escape. He is instrumental, as well."  
  
"Why, you sons of bi--"  
  
"I'm also happy to say that now your future places of employment  
will be strictly limited to Europe. Your permanent mission, Ethan, should   
you choose to accept it..."  
  
He hit pause, leaned back, and thought about it. He could change   
everything, now. Never listen to the message, turn down all future   
assignments, regain control of his life again. Maybe settle down in Florida   
and have some kids like Uncle Donny did. He held the opportunity of his   
life in his hands, held the first, and, probably, last chance to have a   
normal existence, all if he just ignored this one assignment.  
  
He leaned back in his chair and sighed, knowing that he was never going  
to settle down in Florida and have a litter of rugrats. No, he knew Europe  
was going to be his last stop even before he unpaused the tape.  
  
===========================================================================  
===========================================================================  
  
END  
  
So, how did you like it? This   
idea was one of my favorites.   
E-mail me at niamhgold@hotmail.com  
  
Next up:  
When Cupid loses his luggage,  
Valentine's day turns from  
the day of love, to the day  
of utter _weirdness_ for clan  
Wyvern.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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